McClain was injured in the third quarter of a December loss to the Washington Redskins. McClain attempted a tackle on Redskins’ running back Alfred Morris and took a blow to the neck area that made his body go numb.

“I guess I just had my head in a wrong position and then, boom! My body went numb for a little bit. I could feel my hands. I could feel my legs. And then the sensation went away,” McClain said.

The prognosis for McClain’s recovery has always been fairly favorable but not having to undergo surgery is another positive step in the process. McClain will likely be called upon to fill a bigger role for the Ravens with the retirement of Ray Lewis and Dannell Ellerbe leaving in free agency. McClain started 13 games for the Ravens last season before the injury and recorded 79 tackles with three passes defensed.

McClain has been a more consistent player for a longer time than Ellerbe ever was. I don’t know why everyone keeps forgetting about him, and assume the Ravens need 2 inside linebackers.

Also worth noting is McClain and Ellerbe were both UDFA’s (as was Bart Scott and Adalius Thomas, who played all over the field). If the Ravens know one thing, it’s evaluating linebacking talent, unless that talent has a problem with drinking and stairways…

THIS is the point I’ve been trying to make. Everyone is beating on Baltimore saying. “You have no ILB on your roster” when we’ve managed to retain not only one of last years starters (Ellerbe was his backup) but in McClain the Ravens have their backup signal caller, which he’s been called upon to do the past few years when Lewis was out.

Jameel, Ladarius Webb and Suggs were our best players on defense last year and all were injured or mostly handicapped from playing well. They are all back in 2014, so our defense should be much improved.

Too bad Cleveland has to play Kruger on every down, given how much they paid him. I sure hope they don’t drop him into coverage..Man is that embarrassing.

This is the year the NFL finds out about how good the players are on our bench
Thompson, Bynes, McPhee. Draft 2012 was ridiculous.

Cleveland should have traded for Ozzie Newsome instead of Paul Kruger. You know..Baltimore gets Rock and Roll hall of fame and the Cavaliers, Cleveland gets Ozzie Newsome.

ravenator says:Mar 26, 2013 7:18 AM

Good news. Oz will still pick up an amazing linebacker in the draft. Greatest GM in the league. No question about it.

This guy has proven to be a very capable pre-snap coordinator in those games where Ray was out.If the Ravens can get a decent MLB in this draft, McClain is the link in knowledge between Ray Lewis and the next generation.If that person learns quickly and has the physical ability to apply what they’ve learned, the Ravens are set.

McClain has been a more consistent player for a longer time than Ellerbe ever was. I don’t know why everyone keeps forgetting about him, and assume the Ravens need 2 inside linebackers.

Also worth noting is McClain and Ellerbe were both UDFA’s (as was Bart Scott and Adalius Thomas, who played all over the field). If the Ravens know one thing, it’s evaluating linebacking talent, unless that talent has a problem with drinking and stairways…”
*****************************************

You’re right that McClain was more consistent than Ellerbe. And yes… Baltimore had a string of undrafted talent that worked out okay at the linebacker position. But the one constant was… those guys had the luxury of playing alongside Ray Lewis and had the luxury of Ed Reed playing behind them.

Without those two guys getting everyone lines up properly… I can’t give nearly as much faith that some new undrafted guy will fill-in as nicely.

McClain has the experience, so it’s not so much worrying about that. But he’s currently injured and you never know if he’ll come back the same… or at all. It sounds good right now, but you never know.

Either way, that’s one guy. And you definitely need depth at a position like that.

And you forgot to mention that while the Ravens have hit on some linebackers, they’ve also missed on some. Tavares Gooden?

Steeler fans wishing ill will upon players and fans yet they have the nerve to judge the Raven fanbase…like I said as a Raven fan I respect real Steeler fans not the bandwagon trolls that come on here and start stuff…

6superbowls…at the end of the day its a game. to wish ill will and injury on a player or fans of a team just because of a rivalry makes you look like a clueless jackass. thankfully you dont represent football fans in general. best of luck jameel and go ravens